Business More Important Than Health at the FDA

Another great example among a litany of reasons you can't trust officials at the FDA to make the right decisions about your health stems from a story I posted several months ago about a implanted device intended to "treat" depression.

At the time, there was much controversy swirling around the vagus nerve stimulator made by Cyberonics Inc. because some weren't sure it really worked. In fact, according to a report by the Senate Finance Committee, FDA scientists rejected Cyberonics' application unanimously and many times to sell the device as a treatment for depression.

However, the application kept climbing the ladder, thanks to help from Dr. Daniel Schultz, director of the agency's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, and was eventually approved.

What makes this decision more notable than others: Schultz approved the application despite unanimous opposition from FDA administrators and scientists. One sentence from an internal memo sums up why Dr. David Graham was right about the culture at the FDA and he isn't alone in his contempt for it: As an M.D. interested in science, it seems to me that such an approval would be akin to approving an experimental product.

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If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.